Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Is the weather forecaster ever right? Here is what was on the Weather Channel email:

DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS OF 40 TO 50 BELOW ZERO WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING. WIND CHILLS THIS LOW ARE CAPABLE OF FREEZING EXPOSED FLESH IN 5 TO 10 MINUTES. IF YOU MUST BE OUTSIDE...TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA. PETS SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH A WARM PLACE TO STAY TOO.

So now we have minus 5 and breezy instead of WINDY. It will be "balmy" on the weekend. (God bless Lutherland!)

The temperature was predicted to drop over 60 degrees in the last day and a half. They got that one right. The wind chill is brutal. You can’t even count that low. The wind chill warning is in effect until noon. I fully expect the wind to STOP in 26 minutes. Blue for freezing cold.

Friday, January 25, 2008

I've run across some discussion about certain types of churches using Praise Songs, which are supposedly more appealing to young people. My impression has been that so called Praise Songs contain lots of repetition of a refrain, as well as lots of "I" will praise you, in other words, there might be emphasis on who is doing the praising rather than why the praising is being done.

The church I attend probably uses more variety of music than most because the pianist/choir director is very talented, has wide ranging tastes, is from a background in a different denomination, and we have a number of hymnals, including three more current ELCA hymnals, to pick from. The music for worship services is picked by a Worship Committee, so it isn't one person's taste. Lately the choir has been going over many new or unfamiliar hymns just to try them out, as well as some old standards. I said to myself one evening at practice, "These sure sound like praise songs to me."

I decided I better do a little web search just to see if I am overgeneralizing about praise songs.

I found a nice list, which contains a number of songs I already know, so I guess "praise songs" aren't so far off my radar screen.

And I found this web entry that really made me laugh. Talk about both ends of the spectrum, musically. Which end is closer to what your church does?

1. Father went to college2. Father finished college3. Mother went to college4. Mother finished college

5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.9. Were read children’s books by a parent10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 1812. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 1814. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs16. Went to a private high school

17. Went to summer camp

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 1819. Family vacations involved staying at hotels -

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 1821. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them22. There was original art in your house when you were a childYes, great aunt painted a picture of our house. And...does spaghetti art count?23. You and your family lived in a single-family house

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home

25. You had your own room as a child27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course28. Had your own TV in your room in high school29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16

31. Went on a cruise with your family32. Went on more than one cruise with your family33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family -

My parents lived hand to mouth and my dad was off work for quite awhile because of illness, but my mom knew how to stretch a dollar and what types of activities are virtually free, which art galleries and museums were at that time.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Please pray for our friend “RB” who is in Uganda. He just sent me an email about a health problem. He is concerned that he will have to have major surgery, and he stated that only 2 out of 50 people who have this surgery live for one year. Thanks in advance for the prayers!

I really have to get at some writing I promised to do and I need to design and sew a stole for an ordination. Therefore, be it resolved that I spend less time reading and writing on blogs.

The problem I have is that I like to follow links on blogs that I enjoy. Then I put them on Bloglines, so I get notifies that there are new postings. Well, that gets endless. And then I don’t do my own thinking and writing. My creative time is taking the hit.

I’ll still read my favorite blogs, but hopefully not any new ones for awhile.

During my long drive yesterday, we got to discussing many topics. One topic that came up was churches and church members that are friendly and supportive. I've experience both ends of the friendliness spectrum in churches I've attended and visited. I was attempting to explain how supportive our church was compared to the one I grew up in. I also wanted her to know how fortunate she was to be a part of that community.

However, my companion told me in no uncertain terms that churches are always friendly because they are always trolling for new members and financial support!

I was also told that if a church and its members came across to me as unfriendly or rude, it was because of the demeanor that I projected when I attended that church and attempted to talk to the people there.

Yesterday, when I was driving on I-35W through downtown Minneapolis the lens just popped out of my glasses! I'm blind enough without my glasses that if I set them down somewhere, I can't even see well enough to find them, so this was a major cause for concern. Fortunately, I had had the foresight to have put my old glasses in my purse just two days ago. And my companion in the car could dig them out. I can see perfectly to drive with the old glasses, but not good enough to read.

Now, if I take any time to reflect, maybe I can see a spiritual message in that, but since I drove 10 hours, to Minneapolis and back, yesterday, the reflective part of my brain isn't engaged yet. Maybe something about "once I was blind but now I see." And What is it that helps you see? And What if I can't see?

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Lots of bloggers have been posting New Year’s resolutions or posting about why they resist resolutions.

I occasionally make a list of goals for myself. Often that is the last time I think of them until I find the list a few months later when I’m cleaning up a pile of papers. So the list is, literally, not worth the paper it is written on.